The city bellow spanned the horizon as far as the eye could see, but the silence of the morning was a rare treat indeed for Sophia. Usually she woke to the hustle and bustle of shuttles, drones and transport, shouts of a million minds flooding her own into an instant wakefulness.

They say the city never sleeps but as she stood on the metal edged roof looking down at the world bellow her in the pre-dawn light it felt like the world slept. Waited.

As if it held its breath and any minute the sound would suffocate her in a tidal wave. But now in this perfect moment as the wind blew past her with the delicate touch brushing against her, it was a moment of perfect calm. A tranquil hour. A breath of silence before the storm broke. And maybe it was that sense of peaceful calm that hid the truth from Sophia’s mind.

With war on every side and the press of a dying star just hanging over them all, moments of peace were all too rare and almost unheard of. Yet in this one single moment in time Sophia felt at peace with her life, her world, her future, her past, and herself. There was no fear, in that moment she could have existed forever. But moments don’t last forever. They only last for a moment then their gone onto the next.

The silence ends. The world awakens with an abundance of noise. Sophia scurried down the fire escape to join the growing crowds. The buzz of drones. The clang of machines. The shouts and clamour of vendors, tourists, citizens going about their business: talking on phones, advertising wears, ext. The dull roar of the industrial plants starting up. All came together to form a loud and persistent buzz in Sophia’s head.

The headache grew as Sophia ran through the gathering crowds. Dodging vendors and pickpockets alike until she reached the industrial complexes. There the crowds thinned out and became a steady throng of people. Each intent on their destination.

No one paid her mind as she wove through them quickly. Even those who knew Sophia didn’t bother her as she tried to get to her station before roll call.

Her breath came in gasps and her body warmed in the chill morning air from the exertion. Making her grateful for her normal routine of running to and fro about the city. Sophia wasn’t an exceptionally tall woman, but she was well build, muscled, lithe and physically fit. Her long black hair was covered by a veil that trailed behind her. The purple material matching the violet shade of her dress. The fabric thin and un-hindering to her rapid movement. Her movements were rapid and sure. Her steps light. Barely landing before pushing off to the next long stride. Her light slippers nakedly making a whisper of sound in her wake against the concrete.

Sophia was a handful of seconds late as she arrived at the nondescript metal door marking the industrial building where her life was spent whittling the hours away building industrial military cloth. Weaving and imbedding the miniaturized electronics into the delicate fabrics.

She slipped inside unnoticed and made her way to her work station. A handful of the other girls were already working away on the machines in the section when she entered. Her eyes ghosted over them all, not bothering to make eye contact. Not caring that they never regarded her at all. Some even going so far as to turn their backs on her.

Sophia was used to being treated as an outside in the workers quarters. She was. Ever since she learned of her ‘gift’ she’d felt what others had always told her, that she wasn’t like them. That she didn’t belong. How wrong they were. She walked over to her station and slid down into her seat. Removing her veil from her hair which was spun up atop her head in a wild bun. She set the material aside, it was unneeded here indoors where no one but the other workers could see her.

Sophia thought today would be just another regular day. Oh how wrong she was. Just as their boss Lady Millany walked onto the floor. Her all black outfit flowing around her like the wings of some majestic creature Sophia felt a cold chill of dread filter through her spine. Lady Millany was a study in contrasts to Sophia. Where Sophia was tall Lady Millany was short. Where Sophia had sharp delicate features that was just a little too thin Lady Millany was filled out and pure curves. Her clothing dark and sharp as her hawk like eyes. Where as Sophia wore gently soft colours and preferred pastel shades that matched her pale baby blue eyes. Lady Millany hid her brown hair behind a headdress of delicate black filigree and draped fabric that gathered at her throat in a tight filigree broach. Sophia turned her gaze away from Lady Millany and saw a guard from the biotech-lab standing there. The guard wore a polished black battlesuit with a white helmet that obscured his features, his build however gave away that he was male. It was muscular and tall and broad. He exuded power and danger in his military relaxed stance.

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Her worse nightmare.

Lady Millany walked swiftly to the man’s side and the two hissed out a conversation far too low for Sophia to hear, but it didn’t matter. It was obvious to her that they were here for her. Unable to do more then watch in growing horror as Lady Millany finished her conversation and made her way to Sophia beckoning her to follow her outside.

It was there that Lady Millany confirmed Sophia’s growing fear. Someone knew about her gift.

Sophia wished she could vanish. Learn to teleport. Anything!!!! But no such luck. Instead she was forced to take steadying breaths and relinquish her fate to her doom. She gave a slow nod to Lady Millany who squeezed her shoulder gently before leaving her there standing facing the door. Or the three story drop….

Knowing that she might survive the fall, but that it would be useless as there were likely far more guards outside the building. A quick look down proved her right and she sighed resigned.

So much for laying low. Saying a silent prayer to whatever god(s) might be listening in vein hope she walked over to the guard who wordlessly hustled her out of the building with little more then a confirmation of her identity.

He walked by her side and with a firm grip on her upper arm, began leading her towards the central building. The lab.

Sophia felt like she was walking to her doom with each step she took.

“Relax,” The guard who held her said gently. His voice resonating inside her skull. As if he spoke both aloud and in her mind all at once.

It was so easy for him to say. She was panicking! It wasn’t like she could just relax at will thank you very much!

“Breath,” he said.

She would have glared at him, if she wasn’t too busy working herself up into a state. He sighed from beside her and kept marching her towards The Lab.

The lab. It was a gorgeous building with clean metal walls and brightly lit. As she walked into the breathtaking building she froze. Her breath caught and somehow that kickstarted her mind out of her panic. This place was amazing! Calm. Quiet.

She stared around in shock. What the hell was this place?

Sophia stared wide eyes as she was led over to a line before a door where more guards lined each side of the door. She studied the people around her. They seemed a mix bunch. Some bore the look of the rich side of town, others the poor neighbourhoods and still others were like her, workers. They ranged in age from old to young. Nothing about them screamed different.

Then again nothing about Sophia screamed different. And nothing about this place screamed death. Which had Sophia confused. If the leaders were going to end her for her gift, then why was she in this beautiful building where research and cutting edge technology clearly happened?

Just what was going on? Sophia couldn’t piece it together. Not from the rumours she’d heard, not from the stories her mother had told her after her father was taken. And certainly not from what she’d seen.

One by one they were led through the door and through an ice cold spray of water and chemical cleaner that stung Sophia’s nose and burned in her lungs. Leaving her coughing and soaking wet as she stepped out into a sterile bleak, white windowless room lit by overhead bulbs.

“Change,” That one simple word was barked out from the guard at the doorway. He didn’t look at any of them. Although they all looked at him. Sophia felt a chill run down her spine at his uncaring voice.

She looked around her. A bench on the far wall held cubbies with identical white tunics. She slipped hers on shedding the cold wet cloths she’d been wearing. With no idea what else to do she returned to the centre of the room and suddenly she was dropping. Staggering she crouched down to regained her balance and gapped. The floor was a platform elevator that took her down and then forwards.

The conveyor took them through a room where they were photographed and tagged. It felt entirely surreal to Sophia as she reached the end of the line and a blue mask was placed over her face, her vision was not impeded by the apparatus. She wanted to scream. She wanted to move, but she found herself frozen in place. Her arms held out before her for inspection.

Her eyes looked at the guard and tried to communicate her fear. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her breathing became laboured. Seriously what the hell was going on?

This place was both a dream and a nightmare! Gasping for breath her eyes closed and she began to silently sing the song her mother used to sing to her when she was scared as a child. She could almost feel her mothers arms around her.